The use of intermediate bonding pads in semiconductor packages are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,317. In this patent, a semiconductor device is mounted on a lead frame mounting base and a plurality of connecting pads are also mounted on the mounting base around the periphery of the semiconductor device on an insulating material. Bond wires are connecting between the bond pads on the semiconductor device and bond pads on the insulating material on the semiconductor base on the header. Bond wires are then connected between the bond pads on the mounting base of the header to the header lead fingers. By breaking the connecting wires into two parts, the span for each connecting wire is limited.
The design of some semiconductor devices mounted in ceramic packages is such that a single row of centrally located bond pads is used. If the semiconductor die is such that the die width is greater than 200 mils, the wire lengths necessary to connected the centrally located bond pad on the semiconductor die is greater than 100 mils. The design used in metal headers is not applicable to ceramic packages since there is no room in the ceramic package for placing an intermediate bonding pads around the semiconductor device. If there were sufficient room for such intermediate bond pads around the periphery of the semiconductor device, the ceramic package would have to be larger than desirable.